Bathing suit



Nov. 25, 1947. R. M. RElD BATHI NG SUIT Filed Dec. 5, 1944 V01 7016 53 Map/E 196,

9 'r'rom/vfy Patented Nov. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATHING SUIT Rose Marie Reid, Boise, Idaho Application December 5, 1944, Serial No. 566,756

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a bathing suit.

Bathing suits, especially for women, are now almost entirely made of woven fabrics, and the tendency has been toward tight fitting bathing suits. I

The most modern and elegant bathing suits for women are made of an elastic woven fabric, such fabric enabling the making of better and more tightly fitting suits than would be possible with substantially non-stretchable or inelastic fabric, while providing more comfort and freedom of movement.

Usually, if not necessarily, the elastic fabric is so cut and assembled into the bathing suit, that the suit will stretch laterally rather than vertically. One common fault of the bathing suit made of elastic fabric-and such fault is also common in suits made of knittedor woven fabrics-is that the bust is often partly exposed through the arm openings or does not cling well to the body along its upper edge along the back. The object of my invention is primarily to provide a bathing suit which will lack this common fault, in that the bust will be well or adequately covered and the suit will cling well to the body along the upper edge along the back.

Another fault of the bathing suit made of Woven fabric, and even that made of elastic fabric, is that the free movement of the arms, when one is in the act of swimming, is impeded, as the suit, while capable of stretching laterally, is practically incapable of stretching vertically. Again, my improved bathing suit will cure this fault, to a very .great extent.

Still another fault of the usual bathing suit, especially when made of elastic material, is that when the suit fits tightly, the female form below the abdomen is often quite faithfully delineated, to the embarrassment of the wearer. This objectionable feature of a tightly-fitting bathing suit is to a considerable extent removed in a bathing suit made in accordance with my invention.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals of ref erence indicate corresponding parts in the various figures, there is disclosed the preferred form of a bathing suit, made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure l is a front view of the suit, part of the front panel being broken away; and

Figure 2 is a rear view of Figure 1.

The bathing suit may take the form of a flaring skirt l0, extending above the waistline to provide a bust-covering portion I l, the whole adapted holes, and the suit 2 to fit the female form tightly around the bust, waistline and hips.

Conveniently, as shown, the garment may be made of a central, front panel 42, and a second panel l3, stitched to the front panel l2 along seams M. The front panel includes the bustcovering portion II, which, preferably, is comprised of two sections or panels l5-l5, stitched together along a seam l6 and stitched to the panel l2 along curved seams Ill-ll. The panel it, which may be termed the rear panel is shaped at the top to provide a low, curved back (see Figure 2), and to pass under the arms. The bustcovering portion H, which comprises the two panels I'd-l5, may be made as disclosed in my Canadian application, S. N. 507,914, filed November 8, 1943.

Preferably, the material of which the garment is made, is an elastic fabric, and the panels are so cut and assembled together that the elasticity of the fabric is in a lateral direction, thus enablin the garment to fit tightly around the body, and permitting of the garment being slipped up over the hips.

Preferably, a suitable brassire 2G is provided, as shown in Figure 2. The brassiere shown is that disclosed in the said Canadian application, S. N. 507,914, and includes elastic bands 20A, defining at least part of the lower edge of the brassiere.

To properly cover the body under and below the skirt ID, the rear panel l3 has stitched thereto, along a rear seam 2|, a crotch piece 22. The crotch piece is stitched, along a seam 23, to a front piece 24, which is stitched at both sides to the front and rear panels l2 and i3, along the seams l4 aforesaid. The piece 24 is cut to provide two edges 2'5, one on each side of the crotch piece 22, which define with the lower edge of the rear panel [3 and with the crotch piece 22, leg openings 26. The crotch piece 22 and the piece 24, are made of the same material or fabric as the panels [2 and I3, and they are so cut and assembled that the elasticity of the piece 24 is lateral, whereas the elasticity of the crotch piece is upwardly. By so arranging ordisposing the two co-operating pieces 22 and 24, it will be found that the crotch piece 22 does not cling too intimately to the female form below the abdomen, or at least does not mould itself faithfully to the form, thus saving the wearer embarrassment.

3 is stitched to the seams I l-M and ll-I'! aforesaid.

The crotch piece 22 and piece 24 will provide comfortable and elastic coverage for the body, where it otherwise would be exposed under and below the skirt, and as already stated, will not offend ones modesty.

In order that the garment may provide adequate cover for the bust at or near the arms, and this is one of the principal features of the garment of the present invention, a band 30 of elastic fabric-the fabric having its elasticity lengthwise of the bandis stitched to the upper edge of the panel I3, along a seam 3!. The band 3!!v defines the upper edge of the rear panel, to engage the back along a curve and to pass [under the arms. The band is preferably extended above and beyond the panel to provide two shoulder straps 33, the free ends of which are formed with buttonhole 34 to button with buttons 35 secured to the rear panel l3, more particularly to the band 353, preferably at or about-the. end of the elastic bands MA of the brassiere; which preferably are secured to the band 30, at or about the armpits.

Preferably, and for the-bestresultsgthe shoulder straps :33 may be madeof inelasticfabric, stitched to opposite ends of the band fi-fi-as at 35, that is, at apoint'a-bove the shoulders.- The use of an elastic band 3i as aforesaid, will cause the garment tooling to the body along the back and under the arms, with the resultthat the bust'will notwbe exposed. There 'willalso be greater freedom ofaction for the arms'when one is-in the act of swimming, especially when theband 30, which is elastic or readily stretchable, extends some distance above the shoulders.

What I claim is:

1. A ladys bathing suit having an upper portion offabric which is elastic horizontally of the suit and substantially inelastic vertically ofthe suit, said upper portion having an upper edge extending across the back and curving-forwardly and upwardly to pass under the arms and to extend upwardly along each side of the, bust of thewearer, 'anelastic'band having its elasticity lengthwise thereof secured along said upper edge, and shoulder strap secured to opposite ends of said elastic band arranged when secured over the shoulders of a wearer to apply tension to said elastic band to stretch said upper edge across the back of a wearer in the direction of the horizontal elasticity of the fabric and to cause the vertically inelastic upwardly extending portions of the upper edge to snugly engage the body of the wearer along each side of the bust.

2. A ladys bathing suit having an upper portion of fabric which is elastic horizontally of the suit and substantially inelastic vertically of the suit, said upper portion having an upper edge extending across the back and curving forwardly and "upwardly to pass under the arms and to extend upwardly along each side of the bust of a wearer, an elastic band having its elasticity lengthwise thereof secured along said upper edge, shoulder straps secured'to opposite ends of said elastic band arranged when secured over the shoulders of a wearer to apply tension to said elastic band, said band acting in the direction of the horizontal elasticity of said upper edge across the back of the wearer and in the direction of substantial inelasticity of the upwardly extending portion of said upper edge to cause said portions to snugly engage the body of a wearer and to effectively conceal the bust, and means for removably attaching the. free ends of said shoulder straps to the suit belowthe arms of the wearer to augment the action of saidelastic band.

ROSE MARIE REID.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,864,476 Rutledge .June 21, 1932 1,789,077 Levy Jan. 13, 1931 1,637,157 Osborne, Jr. July 26, 1927 2,016,516 Robbins Oct. 8, 1935 2,120,173 Cohen June 7, 1938 

